Austin Energy Business Model

Austin Energy utilizes a traditional utility business model based on continually growing sales. Unfortunately, this approach is intrinsically in conflict with the City’s desire to reduce growth in energy sales through energy efficiency and solar power owned by customers.

Pat Wood on Transparency of Muni Utilities

Former chief U.S. energy regulator Pat Wood III — a former Austin Energy customer — shares perspectives about transparency issues important to Austin.

What Austin Energy Needs: Cheaper, Cleaner, Sooner

PowerSmack offers a set of priorities for accelerating use of cheaper and cleaner energy sources.

Dr. Trester: Coal is Unhealthy

Dr. Elliot Trester discusses the medical dangers of burning coal.

Running on Coal

Austin has been running on coal power for 30 years — and that might not change anytime soon.

Peddling Coal

Austin’s coal-fired power plant sometimes produces more electricity than the City needs and Austin Energy sells the excess coal power to others in the Texas electricity market.

Selling Green Power in Austin

How the GreenChoice program works and why there has been so much debate about its price.

Why GreenChoice is Expensive when Wind is Cheap

Find out why the rising cost of Austin Energy’s GreenChoice program has nothing to do with the price of wind power, which is one of the cheapest sources of electricity.

Coal and Carbon: The Basics

Coal and Carbon: The Basics

How carbon is created and why coal plants emit CO2. Our animation is simple, fast, and so easy to understand, even grandpa will get it. So pass it on!

Sarah Palin is Out-Greening Austin ?

As more communities and states strive to lead in Green Power, perhaps it is time for Austin to update its goals.

Importance of Energy – Austin

(April 2009) Austin mayoral candidates Lee Leffingwell & Brewster McCracken offer perspectives on the importance of Energy as an issue for Austin and the World.

Why Coal?

(April 2009) Austin Energy’s #1 fuel source is Coal. Why? Mayoral candidates Brewster McCracken and Lee Leffingwell offer a response to Austin citizens who do not want to own a coal plant.

Austin’s Energy Choice

(April 2009) Austin is developing a master plan for energy investment and use through 2020. Will citizens get a chance to vote on it? Will City Council have more than one option to consider? Some City Council candidates and Austin Energy share their views.